“I didn’t know that.” Michael had never told me that story and it made me feel even guiltier now.
“He was right, too. You’re a smart lawyer and those are the best kind!” Nate grinned and winked.
“Thank you.”
“And people respect you too. I like that. It takes a lot to navigate your way around an organization like Houghton.” Nate eyed me for a moment. “So tell me a lil’ bit ’bout yourself.”
I looked at Willow. She snapped to, as if she had finally found something of real interest in this meeting. “Oh . . . well, I imagine the things you’d want to know about me you already know,” I said. “Georgetown undergrad, Yale Law. Worked at Dillon & Beck before coming to Houghton and—”
Nate brushed his hands through the air. “You’re right. I already know that stuff. That’s the stuff you’ve done. I want to know who you are.”
“I guess I’m just one of the many hardworking souls you have in the Legal Department.” I softly chuckled. I knew this was the part of the conversation where I was supposed to relax and toss about polite banter. Share a story about the kids I didn’t have and the tennis I didn’t play. Instead, I sat across from him, my brain on a two-minute delay trying to figure out why I was being offered a spot in the executive suite.
Nate smiled. “Now, I’m sure there’s more behind all that educational pedigree. Where’d you grow up?”
“Here in Atlanta.” I told the same lie I’d been telling since I left Chillicothe. It didn’t matter anyway. Chillicothe, Georgia, was so small that most people hadn’t heard of it or if they did, they usually confused it with the city of the same name in southern Ohio.
Nate leaned forward on the sofa, his ocean-blue eyes anchored on me. “Married? Kids?”
“No.” God, just let this be over so I can get out of here. Willow was still planted on the sofa like a well-dressed mannequin, offering nothing to the conversation.
“A beautiful woman like you?” Nate smiled. “Any other family?”
“No. I’m an only child.” Better not to mention my family, or what was left of it.
“I see.”
“How about you? Are you from Atlanta?” I already knew the answer but asked anyway just to move things along.
“Yep. Born and bred.” Nate leaned back on the sofa. “You know, Ellice, I think you could be exactly what this company needs right now. A strong, smart lawyer who can shake off the cobwebs on some of the folks around here. Isn’t that right, Willow?”
“I couldn’t agree more, Nate.” Willow never looked up as she brushed her hand across the hem of her sheath, as if she were flicking away invisible crumbs from her lap.
Nate winked again. “Look, I won’t lie. The fact that you’re Black is like brown gravy on a biscuit.” He chuckled, amused by his own joke.
The company never did any diversity training and now it was showing. Willow’s eyes flitted in my direction before she cleared her throat and cast a raised eyebrow at Nate.
That’s what this was all about. This wasn’t about recognizing me as a valuable asset to the company. This was about me being a colored asset they could prop up in front of people to keep the protesters off Houghton’s doorstep.
Nate either pretended not to notice Willow’s signal or missed it altogether because he talked right through it. “Yep, a Black lady like you is just what we need up here,” he said.
“W-w-well,” I stammered. “I appreciate the vote of confidence but I’m not sure I . . . I mean . . . it’s so soon after—”
“Look, I get it. Michael just died and you think it’s too soon to talk about replacing him. Trust me, it’s not. We have a responsibility to this company, to the Houghton family.”
Even though I’d long craved a role in the executive suite, I didn’t want this one. Not this way. I opened my mouth to offer a more forceful objection, but Nate raised his hand.
“Hear me out. The board is acting like a bunch of nervous Nellies. All concerned about the optics of this thing. But I’m more concerned with continuing the good work Michael started.” Nate leaned forward. “Michael was a good guy. A really good guy. Straight shooter with good moral fiber. I think the best we can do to respect his memory is to keep the company moving forward the way he did. I know he thought very highly of you. I think you’d be the perfect lawyer to replace him. Besides, this is the kind of opportunity that’ll do wonders for your career.”